The David Gold Interview
Tony Randall speaks to the chairman of West Ham FC
26th Nov 2012
David Gold with Daughter and MD of Ann Summers Vanessa Gold
I was to meet Mr Gold at 3pm at the Ann Summers HQ in Surrey. Now I like to be early for appointments but even by my standards a full two hours was a record for me. But the staff were very helpful,filled me with coffee and mini twix bars and chatted away to me until the big hand nearly reached the hour of three. I was getting a touch nervous when I hear " Hello you must be Tony " it was Jane, Mr Golds PA. I was led to the top floor and to the chairman's office where I was greeted by the man himself and we began to talk about the club he's loved since a boy, Olympic stadium, Big Sam, Twitter, The Hammerettes and depression in football.
TR : Having grown up a stones throw from the Boleyn Ground and a life long hammers supporter, this must be a dream come true for you to end up as chairman?
DG : I have to confess it never occurred to me, It would have been the furthest thing from my mind wanting to be chairman. I was living just across from Upton Park at 442 Green Street, my earliest memory is when I was around seven years old and bunking into the ground under the turnstiles. As a family we were living in abject poverty, it was all about survival so at that time in my life wanting to be chairman or part of the club didn't enter my mind. But every day I arrive at West Ham, and remember I go back a long time, all the memories come flooding back, when I drive along Green Street I can see the houses that were there when I was a boy over 50 years ago. I can remember the tram lines on the cobble stones in the road and the Doodle Bugs that crashed on Upton Park, luckily it hit the pitch and there was no match on that day or many people would have lost their life. I'm proud of my roots and what I have achieved and this is all from a little boy who was a little urchin and failed every exam at school.
TR : You were offered an apprenticeship at west ham but it didn't work out, why was that?
DG : Well in those days you had to be 21 before you could sign anything for yourself, so you always needed your parents to sign for you and sadly my father refused to put pen to paper for me. I do remember it was Ted Fenton who was the manager at that time and he said to me " Goldie, take these forms home for your dad to sign and you can become a professional footballer" My father refused to sign and that was the end of my footballing career. He made me complete my apprentice as a bricklayer. There was always a bizarre jealousy from my father towards me which I never truly understood, mixed with a feeling that it would be better off if got a trade.
TR : You must have been devastated in having the chance of turning professional taken away from you?
DG : Absolutely, but it's a long time ago, I've bounced back and slowly business took over my life and has replaced that disappointment. And of course ultimately if I'd gone into football I'd not have made the money I have subsequently made today which in turn has made me chairman of the club I love.
TR : How good a footballer was you?
DG : If i was to asses myself I'd ask what would Ted Fenton have seen in me as a 17 yr old boy? I think he'd have said " This young boy Gold has pace a great left foot and delivers a wicked free kick and corner. "
TR : I put it to Mr Gold you sound like you was a Trevor Brooking or Alan Devenshire type of player.
DG: No not a Brooking or Devenshire type, both had the ability to drift with the ball and before you knew it they were in the oppositions box, but neither of them had blistering pace. I would say I'd compare myself to Matt Jarvis, he has a bit more pace, small and gets to the byline and delivers a devastating ball into the box.
Looking at Mr Golds face as he remesises of what could have been its clear to me how much he'd love to have had that chance to play football for the the team he loves which was taken away from him.
TR : You've embraced Twitter and interact with the supporters on it, how have you found this experience?
DG : It's a medium where I can communicate one to one with a person, if I go on television or radio I'm generalising as I'm only speeking to the interviewer, where as on twitter I'm actually interacting with a fan. If someone has a grudge or disagreement about the club or myself it gives me the opportunity to answer these issues.
TR : One ongoing issue is the Olympic Stadium, how long will it be before the club gives up on this proposed move there?
DG : The Olympic Stadium is an iconic product that is in our back yard. It's a one in a life time opportunity for West Ham and we're committed to the stadium and all of its values and all the promises made by Seb Coe and the Government, and let me say we are also committed to generating jobs and fulfilling the legacy.
TR : If all failed and moving into the Stadium was not viable no more would you improve Upton Park?
DG : It's a possibility, but we will address that issue should it arise. At this moment it's pointless in spending money or wasting energy in planning until we know the position regarding the Olympic Stadium.
TR : One issue I was asked to put to you was the Hammerettes, What future have they got at the club dancing and entertaining the crowd?
DG : The Hammerettes actually work in the corporate section, they greet and welcome people and I will say they are very lovely and charming. As to coming out on the pitch we will have to wait and see, I wouldn't say no to it, let's say its a possibility. I have to say its also down to the manager as well, Sam has to be consulted on everything that happens on match day, everything we do is set best to help the players.
TR : Talking of your manager, are you happy Big Sam is the right man for West Ham?
DG : It's all about achieving, I've never heard anybody say the manager is doing a great job if your at the bottom of the table or sack the manager if your at the top. For me it's about expectations, for us this year our expectation was to finish around 13th in the league but to be currently sitting in 8th is over and above what we had expected. The board must take some credit for this in the same way we received abuse from some quarters when we got relegated and fans were asking us did we give the manager enough money or was there more we could have done.
TR : My final question to Mr Gold is about an illness that in society is still a taboo and I'm sure amongst professional footballers who are seen as warriors on the field of play is something not mentioned, I'm talking about Mental Health and depression.Do players know when they are suffering from it ? Or where to go to seek help? There have been a few players such Paul Gascoigne, Andy Cole, Neil Lennon and Stan Collymore who have been brave enough to go public with this illness. Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke, who had been depressed since the death of his two-year-old daughter, Lara, took his own life by stepping in front of a train at the age of thirty- two. So do West Ham have any provisions in place to support a player or member of staff if they suffer from this illness?
DG : We don't have anything in place that is solely for treating depression because its not something we come across very often. When it does happen there are enough qualified people including the manager to judge if somebody is struggling with the illness.
TR : How would Sam know if any of his staff at the club is suffering from Mental Health? It's very hard to detect at times, from my own personal experience I will pretend to be happy to the world when deep down inside I'm hopelessly depressed and feeling suicidal a times.
DG : Don't forget footballers are constantly being assessed, not for Mental Health but for their well being and fitness. Touch wood to this date we have not had any incidents that we regret. We have residential doctors, medical experts around the club so I'm comfortable if a player or member of staff suffered from it they would receive the best quality support.
Mr Gold then says he'd like to tell me a short story which clearly makes him emotional when speaking about it.
DG : My Great Grandfather, the father of my grandmother who I adored came from Poland to escape the Nazis, and this is the turn of the last century. The war hadn't even started yet but there was still a lot of antisemitism and the Nazis were a growing force. My family left Poland and came to live here in England, my great grandfather became very depressed from the racial abuse he received that in the end he hung himself and left a 10 year old daughter. And that's a very sad story with in our family, my dear grandmother often told the story how devastated she was at his loss.
There is a short period of silence and we end the interview.
I'm not sure what I expected on my journey to meet Mr Gold but I came away with the impression and its what I said to him as I left his office " You're a true Gent "
26th Nov 2012
David Gold with Daughter and MD of Ann Summers Vanessa Gold
I was to meet Mr Gold at 3pm at the Ann Summers HQ in Surrey. Now I like to be early for appointments but even by my standards a full two hours was a record for me. But the staff were very helpful,filled me with coffee and mini twix bars and chatted away to me until the big hand nearly reached the hour of three. I was getting a touch nervous when I hear " Hello you must be Tony " it was Jane, Mr Golds PA. I was led to the top floor and to the chairman's office where I was greeted by the man himself and we began to talk about the club he's loved since a boy, Olympic stadium, Big Sam, Twitter, The Hammerettes and depression in football.
TR : Having grown up a stones throw from the Boleyn Ground and a life long hammers supporter, this must be a dream come true for you to end up as chairman?
DG : I have to confess it never occurred to me, It would have been the furthest thing from my mind wanting to be chairman. I was living just across from Upton Park at 442 Green Street, my earliest memory is when I was around seven years old and bunking into the ground under the turnstiles. As a family we were living in abject poverty, it was all about survival so at that time in my life wanting to be chairman or part of the club didn't enter my mind. But every day I arrive at West Ham, and remember I go back a long time, all the memories come flooding back, when I drive along Green Street I can see the houses that were there when I was a boy over 50 years ago. I can remember the tram lines on the cobble stones in the road and the Doodle Bugs that crashed on Upton Park, luckily it hit the pitch and there was no match on that day or many people would have lost their life. I'm proud of my roots and what I have achieved and this is all from a little boy who was a little urchin and failed every exam at school.
TR : You were offered an apprenticeship at west ham but it didn't work out, why was that?
DG : Well in those days you had to be 21 before you could sign anything for yourself, so you always needed your parents to sign for you and sadly my father refused to put pen to paper for me. I do remember it was Ted Fenton who was the manager at that time and he said to me " Goldie, take these forms home for your dad to sign and you can become a professional footballer" My father refused to sign and that was the end of my footballing career. He made me complete my apprentice as a bricklayer. There was always a bizarre jealousy from my father towards me which I never truly understood, mixed with a feeling that it would be better off if got a trade.
TR : You must have been devastated in having the chance of turning professional taken away from you?
DG : Absolutely, but it's a long time ago, I've bounced back and slowly business took over my life and has replaced that disappointment. And of course ultimately if I'd gone into football I'd not have made the money I have subsequently made today which in turn has made me chairman of the club I love.
TR : How good a footballer was you?
DG : If i was to asses myself I'd ask what would Ted Fenton have seen in me as a 17 yr old boy? I think he'd have said " This young boy Gold has pace a great left foot and delivers a wicked free kick and corner. "
TR : I put it to Mr Gold you sound like you was a Trevor Brooking or Alan Devenshire type of player.
DG: No not a Brooking or Devenshire type, both had the ability to drift with the ball and before you knew it they were in the oppositions box, but neither of them had blistering pace. I would say I'd compare myself to Matt Jarvis, he has a bit more pace, small and gets to the byline and delivers a devastating ball into the box.
Looking at Mr Golds face as he remesises of what could have been its clear to me how much he'd love to have had that chance to play football for the the team he loves which was taken away from him.
TR : You've embraced Twitter and interact with the supporters on it, how have you found this experience?
DG : It's a medium where I can communicate one to one with a person, if I go on television or radio I'm generalising as I'm only speeking to the interviewer, where as on twitter I'm actually interacting with a fan. If someone has a grudge or disagreement about the club or myself it gives me the opportunity to answer these issues.
TR : One ongoing issue is the Olympic Stadium, how long will it be before the club gives up on this proposed move there?
DG : The Olympic Stadium is an iconic product that is in our back yard. It's a one in a life time opportunity for West Ham and we're committed to the stadium and all of its values and all the promises made by Seb Coe and the Government, and let me say we are also committed to generating jobs and fulfilling the legacy.
TR : If all failed and moving into the Stadium was not viable no more would you improve Upton Park?
DG : It's a possibility, but we will address that issue should it arise. At this moment it's pointless in spending money or wasting energy in planning until we know the position regarding the Olympic Stadium.
TR : One issue I was asked to put to you was the Hammerettes, What future have they got at the club dancing and entertaining the crowd?
DG : The Hammerettes actually work in the corporate section, they greet and welcome people and I will say they are very lovely and charming. As to coming out on the pitch we will have to wait and see, I wouldn't say no to it, let's say its a possibility. I have to say its also down to the manager as well, Sam has to be consulted on everything that happens on match day, everything we do is set best to help the players.
TR : Talking of your manager, are you happy Big Sam is the right man for West Ham?
DG : It's all about achieving, I've never heard anybody say the manager is doing a great job if your at the bottom of the table or sack the manager if your at the top. For me it's about expectations, for us this year our expectation was to finish around 13th in the league but to be currently sitting in 8th is over and above what we had expected. The board must take some credit for this in the same way we received abuse from some quarters when we got relegated and fans were asking us did we give the manager enough money or was there more we could have done.
TR : My final question to Mr Gold is about an illness that in society is still a taboo and I'm sure amongst professional footballers who are seen as warriors on the field of play is something not mentioned, I'm talking about Mental Health and depression.Do players know when they are suffering from it ? Or where to go to seek help? There have been a few players such Paul Gascoigne, Andy Cole, Neil Lennon and Stan Collymore who have been brave enough to go public with this illness. Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke, who had been depressed since the death of his two-year-old daughter, Lara, took his own life by stepping in front of a train at the age of thirty- two. So do West Ham have any provisions in place to support a player or member of staff if they suffer from this illness?
DG : We don't have anything in place that is solely for treating depression because its not something we come across very often. When it does happen there are enough qualified people including the manager to judge if somebody is struggling with the illness.
TR : How would Sam know if any of his staff at the club is suffering from Mental Health? It's very hard to detect at times, from my own personal experience I will pretend to be happy to the world when deep down inside I'm hopelessly depressed and feeling suicidal a times.
DG : Don't forget footballers are constantly being assessed, not for Mental Health but for their well being and fitness. Touch wood to this date we have not had any incidents that we regret. We have residential doctors, medical experts around the club so I'm comfortable if a player or member of staff suffered from it they would receive the best quality support.
Mr Gold then says he'd like to tell me a short story which clearly makes him emotional when speaking about it.
DG : My Great Grandfather, the father of my grandmother who I adored came from Poland to escape the Nazis, and this is the turn of the last century. The war hadn't even started yet but there was still a lot of antisemitism and the Nazis were a growing force. My family left Poland and came to live here in England, my great grandfather became very depressed from the racial abuse he received that in the end he hung himself and left a 10 year old daughter. And that's a very sad story with in our family, my dear grandmother often told the story how devastated she was at his loss.
There is a short period of silence and we end the interview.
I'm not sure what I expected on my journey to meet Mr Gold but I came away with the impression and its what I said to him as I left his office " You're a true Gent "
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